All About GEP
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chunda\" post_id=\"2042687\" time=\"1634476267\" user_id=\"92879:
If someone told me the Dr was on the scene when the letters were issued, I would have believed it. (So much details and even Roald Dahl made a special appearance)
Did anyone read this letter in the straits times and have any thoughts on it?
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-relook-need-to-hand-gep-results-to-pupils-in-class
I am sure some children were disappointed but I heard that at my sons school some of the kids congratulated the ones who got through to the other round. Perhaps it says more about the kids at that particular school.
As a child I recall people who did well in national competitions got a mention in assembly and it was seen as something to be proud of not something to be secretive about.
There’s no perfect system and our kids need to know (and learn) that the real world is x10 more harsh.
Writing a letter to ST ? Maybe he was unhappy with Helen and Ivan too. -
My child’s teacher distributed the letters exactly how it was described in the forum letter. Kid was aware that it made some kids feel really awful about themselves and I think the school or teacher could have handled it much better.
I get it if the school openly celebrates achievements of children who did well in competitions. It is something worthy of celebration and cheer. The notification for getting through round 1, conversely, doesn’t warrant any ra-ra.
Imagine if you were the parent of a child who didn’t get through despite best efforts. Or the kid him/herself? What’s the point of giving it out this way if it could have been avoided? A little social grace and discretion goes a long way. -
Not all schools do that. Few years back, my son’s school asked a list of students to proceed to the canteen immediately after assembly, while the rest went to class. There, they were handed the letters away from the prying eyes of their classmates. If they hadn’t talked, none of their classmates would have known why they had to “stay back”.
It’s ok lah. Come year end, when the 2nd round kids get their 2nd letter, nobody will be there to see. They will quietly leave the school for GEP & nobody will remember them in P4 lol. -
zac's mum\" post_id=\"2042751\" time=\"1634539275\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2042751 time=1634539275 user_id=53606]
Yeah same thing happened to my girls class many years back. The affected pupils were asked to stay behind after assembly and given the letters. Quite many from the top 2 class got the letter to proceed to round 2. After that nobody cares who got into GEP since its just a handful.
Not all schools do that. Few years back, my son’s school asked a list of students to proceed to the canteen immediately after assembly, while the rest went to class. There, they were handed the letters away from the prying eyes of their classmates. If they hadn’t talked, none of their classmates would have known why they had to “stay back”.
It’s ok lah. Come year end, when the 2nd round kids get their 2nd letter, nobody will be there to see. They will quietly leave the school for GEP & nobody will remember them in P4 lol.[/quote] -
Seriously, I think we as parents should not read to much into these announcements. Essentially it is just a announcement of a group of people who "passed" certain criteria. I’m not sure if we should even use the word "passed".
The unfortunate thing is, the way the whole GEP is run (mechanically, every year), sets the expectation that all those that go through the tests as "gifted". That a certain proportion of the student population is "gifted", every single year. That is simply, hogwash. We have had the GEP for like 37 odd years. Going by this thinking, being awashed with "talents", we should be brimming with geniuses and Einsteins by now, since the oldest GEPper is 47 by now.
I will leave it to you to judge if we can identify any Singaporean Einstein now.
I am not trying to put down the program. Rather, I think the program is useful as it gives more exposure to people with higher academic ability, so they won’t be too bored with the tedium of passing Singapore exams. But the name of the program is the biggest sticking point to me. Don’t call the program "gifted", because it derides everyone else as "ungifted". -
My school did not do that either. A random teacher was sent to distribute the letters who asked some of the kids out of the classroom to give them a letter who simply told them to pass to their parents and not to show it to their friends.
I am not sure if it is just luck that my son was selected, as he is struggling a lot with Chinese. Even in the unlikely event that he will get selected a month later, I will not dare send him into GEP given that he cannot even pass Chinese. I am definitely going to drop HCL by P5 or the earliest I am allowed to drop it. -
It was done very quietly at DD’s school. Form teacher basically just walked around the class early in the morning and put the notifications on the children’s tables and informed the children to give it to their parents. Very matter of fact with no fanfare, just like any notification. Actually if really need to be so discreet then just inform via PG yah? But I think at this age we can surely and supportively help them deal with disappointment, and to show grace and truly be glad for others.
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ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2042767\" time=\"1634552842\" user_id=\"3:
In reality, the MOE is unlikely to cancel or even amend the name of the GEP programme in short term and what we can do is to minimise the negative impact on those so called \"ungifted\" kids.
Seriously, I think we as parents should not read to much into these announcements. Essentially it is just a announcement of a group of people who \"passed\" certain criteria. I'm not sure if we should even use the word \"passed\".
The unfortunate thing is, the way the whole GEP is run (mechanically, every year), sets the expectation that all those that go through the tests as \"gifted\". That a certain proportion of the student population is \"gifted\", every single year. That is simply, hogwash. We have had the GEP for like 37 odd years. Going by this thinking, being awashed with \"talents\", we should be brimming with geniuses and Einsteins by now, since the oldest GEPper is 47 by now.
I will leave it to you to judge if we can identify any Singaporean Einstein now.
I am not trying to put down the program. Rather, I think the program is useful as it gives more exposure to people with higher academic ability, so they won't be too bored with the tedium of passing Singapore exams. But the name of the program is the biggest sticking point to me. Don't call the program \"gifted\", because it derides everyone else as \"ungifted\".
Different ways of notifying the \"passed\" one have been discussed here. Just ask yourselves which way of announcement you prefer if your kids are one of those \"ungifted\" one. -
Oh dear… sorry to hear about this. Is it possible to for him to take mainstream CL if he gets into GEP?
san20sg\" post_id=\"2042787\" time=\"1634563884\" user_id=\"76391:
My school did not do that either. A random teacher was sent to distribute the letters who asked some of the kids out of the classroom to give them a letter who simply told them to pass to their parents and not to show it to their friends.
I am not sure if it is just luck that my son was selected, as he is struggling a lot with Chinese. Even in the unlikely event that he will get selected a month later, I will not dare send him into GEP given that he cannot even pass Chinese. I am definitely going to drop HCL by P5 or the earliest I am allowed to drop it. -
san20sg\" post_id=\"2042787\" time=\"1634563884\" user_id=\"76391:
Being selected is not luck. The test does not test proficiency in Chinese. This is my main complain of gep too.
My school did not do that either. A random teacher was sent to distribute the letters who asked some of the kids out of the classroom to give them a letter who simply told them to pass to their parents and not to show it to their friends.
I am not sure if it is just luck that my son was selected, as he is struggling a lot with Chinese. Even in the unlikely event that he will get selected a month later, I will not dare send him into GEP given that he cannot even pass Chinese. I am definitely going to drop HCL by P5 or the earliest I am allowed to drop it.
Maybe you should consider a GEP school with normal chi eg ACS etc if your son is selected. Dh was the first batch to be selected for the program and was struggling in a SAP pri school near his home. He was so happy to go to the gep school an hour away and said that was the best decision he made as a 9 yr old. It made all the difference in his learning from that point on.
No doubt the standard of chi is higher at gep level and my son also struggled with it at the higher gep level in primary school as we are Chi illiterate family but he is still doing higher chinese in secondary level. Hopefully, your son will meet a teacher who will inspire him in Chinese.
I dont doubt the selection test especially if you did not hothouse him or send him for training in Maths and Eng. He will enjoy the programme. To do well for PSLE, that's a different story as that require you to do well in all 4 subjects.
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